First Step on the Road to the Derby!
The Legoland
Grade III
One mile on the Fast Dirt Course
Purse $100,000 – 1st: $60,000, 2nd: $25,000, 3rd: $8,000, 4th: $5,000, 5th: $2,000
All Horses, 3 years old
Stakes record – Inaugural Race
This is a big race on that long road to the Derby. The winner of this race will jump right into the talk about qualifiers for the Bluegrass in May. A couple of these colts are already well on their way in that regard but most will need a Graded win or two or winning a Lock Race to get into that hallowed ground come May. This is the time in a young horses career when they can really turn it around and make a big jump and you can bet that some of these owners and trainer are hoping for just that. It should be an extremely competitive race with a very evenly matched field. I am really looking forward to this one so let’s take a look:
1 – BIOCHEMISTRY(LA) ODDS STABLE WIN% JOCKEY WIN% TOP SPEED EARNINGS RANK Dundey Acres 4/1 Dundey5 14.2% D.Hogin 14 – 6 – 1 – 1 – 43% 95 $ 251,500 48
( BRAHMS x STORM CAT x MR. PROSPECTOR out of ORGANIC PROJECT) With six wins in only ten races, trainer Dundey5 and the Dundey Acres ownership are certainly doing something right with this colt. And five of those have been Stakes wins. His only two blemishes in his past seven were Gradeds where he finished a respectable 5th and 3rd. He’s a stalker that likes to come from just off the pace and this post should do him well. He also has a red hot jockey in the irons in Hogin who already has six wins this campaign. All in all this appears to be a pretty formidable team in this race and the others better make sure they know where this colt is at all times.
 | 2 – SUMMERINSARATOGA(KY) | ODDS | STABLE | WIN% | JOCKEY | WIN% | TOP SPEED | EARNINGS | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right At Home Stables | 6/1 | ChloeDawg | 11.2% | P.Sullivan | 5 – 1 – 1 – 1 – 20% | 94 | $ 86,256 | 116 |
( ARCH x CONQUISTADOR CIELO x HOIST THE FLAG) A lightly run colt with only four races but three wins including a sizzling 94 SPF last time out. Trainer ChloeDawg is stepping him way up in class as this will be his first Stakes outing of any type but he sure looks as if he is ready for the challenge. He should like the distance although his best race was at eight and a half panels. They have Sullivan in the leather and he has started off well this year with 60% of his mounts hitting the board. This colt likes the front end and the inside post will pave the way to get there. Could be an interesting choice to put this first time Stakes winner on your tri-ticket. He is a coupled entry with RUNNING STORM.
 | 3 – ELUSIVE CROWN(AUS) | ODDS | STABLE | WIN% | JOCKEY | WIN% | TOP SPEED | EARNINGS | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zanthulus Stables | 6/1 | Zanthulus | 8.4% | A.Jolly | 14 – 0 – 3 – 1 – 0% | 93 | $ 92,560 | 54 |
(ELUSIVE QUALITY x CHIEF’S CROWN x RELAUNCH) In only five races this colt has run four Stakes or Graded races with solid results. He has the experience in the tough races and that may help him here along with the two 90 plus SPFs in his past two outings. Trainer and owner Zanthulus would love to see him start off his three year old campaign with a big win here. Jockey Jolly is holding the reins and after a fine rookie season he seems to be in a sophomore slump with no wins in his first fourteen mounts this year. Sometimes this colt seems to fall too far back and Jolly will need to keep him more mid pack in this one.
 | 4 – DEHERE PEAS BAD(AUS) | ODDS | STABLE | WIN% | JOCKEY | WIN% | TOP SPEED | EARNINGS | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conquest Farms | 6/1 | Peeps9 | 14.8% | F.Oxon | 16 – 4 – 1 – 4 – 25% | 97 | $ 249,295 | 11 |
( DEHERE x VINDICATION x GONE WEST out of TRUE LOVE IS BLIND) I keep looking at the name of this colt and trying to figure it out. There’s no having to figure out his talent though as this colt comes in here with two consecutive Graded Stakes victories and the number 11 ranking. Trainer Peeps9 and the Conquest Farms have got to be dreaming of the Derby with this colt. He loves the front end and the biggest worry is that there may be a battle for the front early that could tire him out. With top jockey Oxon in the saddle that shouldn’t be a problem as he knows how to pace them and bring them home. A good bet here at fairly generous odds.
 | 5 – THE SOPRANOS(KY) | ODDS | STABLE | WIN% | JOCKEY | WIN% | TOP SPEED | EARNINGS | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At The Wire Thorougbreds | 11/1 | Clk2000 | 10.9% | R.Romero | 2 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0% | 91 | $ 30,040 | 623 |
( SPEIGHTSTOWN x VINDICATION x DEPUTY MINISTER out of THE MOB) With only a maiden win this colt needs to grow up in a hurry to compete against this group. That happens quite frequently with young three year olds and this guy definitely has some talent but it’s a tough field here this weekend. It doesn’t help that trainer Clk2000 has jockey Romero guiding who had a lackluster season last year and is still looking for his first mount to hit the board this year. A deep closer that may benefit from the early speed in this one but looks to be in slightly over his head.
| 6 – CHELOKEE AGAIN(KY) | ODDS | STABLE | WIN% | JOCKEY | WIN% | TOP SPEED | EARNINGS | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ads1 Stables | 6/1 | Ads2 | 12.7% | Bo Ryan | 3 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0% | 94 | $ 84,844 | 138 |
( CHELOKEE x AWESOME AGAIN x A.P. INDY out of AWESOME AP) Since trainer and owner Ads2 stretched this guy to a mile in August he really took off. He now has three consecutive allowance wins with improving 90 plus SPFs. This will be his first Stakes outing but he appears ready to do battle with this group. His stalking style should set him up well with the early speed in this field. Jockey Ryan is off to a slow start looking for his first win of the season but he’s always been a solid jock that knows how to get the job done. With just a bit of luck this colt could be in the mix at the end.
 | 7 – JONES BEACH(KY) | ODDS | STABLE | WIN% | JOCKEY | WIN% | TOP SPEED | EARNINGS | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Stables | 11/1 | Super24 | 17.8% | B.Rayam | 2 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0% | 85 | $ 20,940 | 368 |
( DISTORTED HUMOR x STORM CAT x UNBRIDLED out of WHITE SAND) After wins in his first two races, the Super Group had to be excited about this colt but in last race he threw a bit of a clunker in a 9F Grade Two. It was his worst SPF and he finished nearly 20 lengths back. After a nice rest and back to a mile the Supers are hoping for a resurrection of this colt’s fast start. Beautifully bred, he should have the talent to do just that. Jockey Rayam is getting a big chance to prove himself here and he needs to rise to the occasion as he has been less than “super” in his past stats.
| 8 – GIVE EM THE HYSIGN(KY) | ODDS | STABLE | WIN% | JOCKEY | WIN% | TOP SPEED | EARNINGS | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BloodRock Stables | 5/1 | TearsRock | 4.3% | T.Campy | 10 – 2 – 0 – 0 – 20% | 98 | $ 148,270 | 84 |
( LEMON DROP KID x GIANT’S CAUSEWAY (IRE) x SMART STRIKE) This Lemon Drop Kid is kind of like his dad as he is kind of hard to figure. Two back he threw a 98 SPF at seven and a half furlongs and still didn’t win the race in a hard luck finish. Last time out he moved to eight and a half and dropped back to a 92 SPF in a G3 and finished third. He seems to have been a kind of hard luck horse with nice figures but only two wins to show for it in seven outings. Trainer TearsRock must be pulling his hair with this one but have high hopes here. Jockey Campy is one of the best out here and needs to keep this colt mid pack and let him loose at the end. He may be giving the high sign at the end.
 | 9 – LORD REVEL(KY) | ODDS | STABLE | WIN% | JOCKEY | WIN% | TOP SPEED | EARNINGS | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tulloch Stables | 16/1 | CupRunners | 13.8% | C.Morris | 1 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0% | 86 | $ 44,220 | 329 |
( OFFICER x SMART STRIKE x EL GRAN SENOR out of VICTORIA RIVER) After winning his maiden, this colt had two disappointing Graded races for trainer CupRunners. He moved to a mile last time out and won an Allowance race with an 86 SPF. He will need a big jump in SPF to compete against this formidable field though. They have lightly used but quite capable jockey Morris in the irons but he will have to watch the pace as this colt likes the front end and there is plenty of early speed from inside posts in this one.
| 10 – DANTESCAN(KY) | ODDS | STABLE | WIN% | JOCKEY | WIN% | TOP SPEED | EARNINGS | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martialis Stables | 9/1 | Martialis | 14.3% | R.J.Rehberger | 5 – 2 – 0 – 0 – 40% | 89 | $ 98,849 | 162 |
( EMPIRE MAKER x A.P. INDY x FAPPIANO out of PAIDEUMA) Impeccable breeding for this colt and his first Stakes win last time out has to give trainer and owner Martialis hope for this colt but that last race was only at six and a half furlongs and his only previous run at a mile was a step backwards. His top SPF to date is an 89 and he will need to bump that up significantly to compete here. The colt likes to come from way off the pace and that may help him here with the outside post and the abundance of early speed in the field. He has Rehberger in the saddle and he is a good one and that could help as well. Lots of hopes here, the colt just has to live up to his breeding.
| 11 – RUNNING STORM(KY) | ODDS | STABLE | WIN% | JOCKEY | WIN% | TOP SPEED | EARNINGS | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right At Home Stables | 17/1 | Bandinni | 14.2% | A Pretence | 1 – 0 – 1 – 0 – 0% | 82 | $ 66,150 | 212 |
( CHEROKEE RUN x STORM CAT x SEEKING THE GOLD out of SEEKING STORM) This pretty light gray colt won his first outing at a mile four back and has seemingly just treaded water since then with three consecutive lackluster efforts without improvement. I don’t know whether he isn’t partial to the distance or may want a try on the grass. This is the second of a coupled entry by Right At Home Stables and it looks as if his stable mate SUMMERINSARATOGA will take the front end while this colt covers the rear of the field. They have Pretence guiding and his stats are nothing to right home about although he has a second in his only mount this year.
Morning Line = 1-8-2-3-4-6
Yoss Tips = 1-8-4-2
Paz Picks = 4-1-8-2
This is a huge race for these young colts and it could really shake up the rankings on the road to the Derby. A hot horse with a hot jockey could put SUMMERINSARATOGA in the mix . I have him set to finish fourth although he may finish much better. He needs a little more experience against the big boys and this will help in that regard. GIVE EM THE HYSIGN has been kind of inconsistent but he has the speed and the talent and I think he has enough to finish in the top three. Most tipsters are picking BIOCHEMISTRY to win this race and he is a good one but has come up short in his Graded efforts. For that reason I have DEHERE PEAS BAD on my card as the winner here and a big step toward that first Saturday in May.
Good luck to all runners!
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